Nigeria striker Tolu Arokodare has revealed how surprised he was when he first learned that Ajax wanted to sign him.
The 25-year-old completed a season-long loan move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Dutch club on Wednesday, July 29. He will wear the number 99 shirt during his time in Amsterdam.
Ajax also have the option to sign Arokodare permanently next summer for a reported fee of around £17 million.
Speaking to Ajax’s official website after completing the move, the Nigerian forward said joining the club was something he never expected to happen.
“I could never have imagined that I would play here. Not because I do not want to, but because everyone knows this club. In Nigeria, no one watches the Eredivisie, but everyone knows Ajax,” he said.
Arokodare said his first reaction was disbelief when his agent informed him about Ajax’s interest.
“When my agent said Ajax were interested, I thought he was joking. As I said, I never expected this. I immediately thought: I want this. It is the biggest club in the Netherlands and one of the biggest in Europe.”
The striker arrived at Wolves from Belgian club Genk last summer in a £24 million transfer. He made 38 appearances in all competitions during his first season in England and scored six goals.
However, his future at the Premier League club became uncertain during the transfer window, with Italian side Fiorentina reportedly among the clubs interested in signing him.
His time at Wolves also became unsettled earlier this month following reports that he refused to leave the training pitch after being told he would no longer train with the first team. The reports led to additional security measures at the club’s training ground, although Arokodare later denied the claims on social media.
Wolves confirmed his move to Ajax in a brief statement. The club noted that the Nigerian started only one of their final 10 Premier League matches last season.
The club did not include comments from either the head coach or sporting director in its announcement.
Arokodare will have to wait before making his competitive debut for Ajax. He is not registered for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League second-leg clash against FK Vojvodina.
Ajax head into the game with a strong advantage after winning the first leg 4-1 on aggregate.
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